The Dreamer
by That Dragon Kid
Summary: Set a year after Children of Earth - may contain spoilers . Jack’s return to earth a year after his departure surprises everyone, but does it have anything to do with the mysterious girl claiming to be able to revive the deceased?
1. Chapter 1

The Dreamer

**I do not own the characters of Torchwood, nor do I own Torchwood itself. I wish I did. If I did, I would have lured Ianto off by now…-clears throat- Ahem. XD But anyway, I don't own Torchwood. I just love it. xD **

**Pairings; Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys (in places) **

**WARNING; Might contain Children of Earth spoilers.**

**I am an avid Torchwood fan, and Ianto's death really hit me hard, so here is a way he could come back…though I'm afraid it's rather strange.**

**I'm not sure how people will like this, but please review =) I'd love to know what's good and what isn't so good.**

**It's got some Janto fluff mixed in there, and it's kind of weird, but there you go.**

**Sorry if it doesn't make a lot of sense xD**

**Please note that 'The Dreamer's' dreams are in italics, and the present is in normal writing. The dreams are literally fragments of the past, and that's why they run into each other, and jump from series to series. **

**Well…I hope you enjoy this xD **

**Chapter One; Those Two Again**

"_No! No, no, no, no, no, no, Ianto! Ianto?"_

_A man. _

_No, two men._

_Is it…?_

_Yes. _

_It's those two again. _

_A handsome American clutches the dying body of a younger man in his arms, tears streaming down both their faces._

_Both are poisoned with a virus sent by aliens. _

"_It's all my fault," The American whispers._

_The Dreamer can't help but feel she is intruding; this moment, so quiet, so filled with anguish, is private. It's not meant for her eyes. But she's forced to see it anyway. _

"_It's not..."_

_The Dreamer screams; begs the aliens to release an anti-virus. But of course, they cannot hear her; nor can either one of the men in the room. She is just a ghost, snooping on the pasts and intense emotions of others. The Dreamer's not really there. _

"_Don't speak; save your breath," The Dreamer feels her breath catch in her throat as the American strokes his young lover's face with such tenderness and love that The Dreamer can't stand it. Tears leak from her brown eyes. _

"_I love you," The younger man says, his eyes brimming with tears. The Dreamer shakes her head, beginning to cry._

"_No more, no more…" She mumbles to herself, falling to her knees as the American shakes his head solemnly. _

"_Don't," the American replies, as the younger man's eyes close gently. The American man's desperation is reflected into The Dreamer's mind. She screams as the intense emotion sent needles ripping through her already shredded heart. _

"_Ianto? Ianto? Ianto, stay with me! Ianto, stay with me please! Stay with me, stay with me!" The desperation was replaced by utter sadness; The Dreamer can not take much more. She crawls forwards, till she sits by the younger man's head. _

"_I don't want…to see…" She trembles in fear, agony, sadness, loneliness…every emotion echoes through her broken mind. She looks at the American, a frown clouding her anguished features. "Say it back. Say it back, damnit! Tell him how you feel! Tell him…" She screams, pounding the man's chest with translucent fists. Her arms slip through the man's flesh as easily as a fish in water. _

_She's seen these visions so many times before, lived the two men's lives almost as much as she has her own. Every time The Dreamer drifts into sleep, the dreams come to her. She watches moments and memories that are nothing to do with her, but she can't stop it. It's not always these two; she's seen others. Hundreds of couples, suicides, deaths, murders, marriage…anywhere with intense emotion, she's seen it. But these two…these remarkable people. The Dreamer's seen them so many times now that it's like she knows them personally. _

"_Hey," the younger man croaks, as if comforting a small child, "it was good, yeah?" The American forces a smile on his face._

"_Yeah," he replies. The Dreamer nods mournfully. She's seen every step of their bizarre, yet iridescent and beautiful relationship, hour by hour, touch by touch. She knows it was good. Bloody brilliant._

"_Don't forget me…" The young man begs, fresh tears falling from his gorgeous eyes. The Dreamer can see that the American's heart couldn't take anymore. He was breaking, tearing into pieces. What would he do without his lover? The Dreamer swallows heavily. She won't forget. She knows she won't. She knows she can't. _

_As if in agreement with The Dreamer, the American speaks. The Dreamer knows their names, of course she does; but she didn't know them personally, and if she uses their names, she knows she'll break. "Never could," he says. _

"_In a thousand years time, you won't remember me…" The younger man says, looking the American man straight in the eyes. The Dreamer trembles, removing her hand from the American's chest and instead moving it to rest next to the young Welshman's face. She shakes her head, a sad smile playing across her childlike features. She's seen far too much, far too young. She knows already, though the dreams have only existed since she found…the…the __**thing**__, and have only intruded in her life for a matter of months, that this handsome, American man doesn't forget easily. _

"_Oh yes I will," The American says, desperation fogging his voice, "I promise." _

_The Welshman, as if somehow reassured, takes a deep, shuddering breath. His eyes close, and the American shakes him gently. _

"_Ianto," He whispers, "Ianto?" The Dreamer's heart stops as the Welshman grows limp in his lover's arms. The Dreamer hates to hear the name said out loud. It makes the pain worse; even though it shouldn't be felt by her. The American suppresses a gasp of anguish, horror, and utter, irrevocable sadness. _

"_Don't go," He begs, "Don't leave me, please. Please…don't..." The American shakes as he begins to cry, bending over the young Welshman. _

_He can't be gone…not now…it's too soon. Don't go, The Dreamer begs silently, don't go. _

"_You will die, and tomorrow you people will deliver the children," The alien, such a disgusting, ugly, heartless creature, hisses to the two men, though now only one can hear its monotonous voice. The American scowls, a look of pure hatred flashing across his tear-stained face. _

_Bending close to the younger man, he presses his lips softly to the Welshman's for the final time, before hugging him close, and falling to the floor. Jack Harkness dies embracing his lover. _

_The Dreamer's eyes widen as she scatters back across the floor, hugging her knees as she rolls into a corner. She covers her eyes with her arms, rocking back and forth. She squeezes her eyes shut to stop the tears escaping. _

"_I can't, I can't," She moans, her entire body shuddering as if being hit by an internal earthquake, "Let me go. Let me go…please…let me go…"_

Gasping, a girl sits up in bed, her heart pounding, her face covered by a sheen of sweat. As her shaking hands touch her face, she tastes salt. Tears run from her mud-brown eyes, dampening her fingers. Her face crumples as the dream swirls in her mind. She turns her head slightly so her eyes rest upon a strange, grey-coloured device sitting on her bedside table. She scowls at it, her mind burning with rage.

"No, no, no…" She whispers, burying her head in her hands.

It wasn't a dream.

It was, and is, unbearably, heart-wrenchingly real.

-x-x-x-

Far, far away, way beyond Earth and a thousand whispers away from humanity, aboard a strange, space cargo ship, an American man sits up, gasping. A cry rips from him like a tortured wolf.

Jack Harkness has just woken up.

And the memories are back.

**Sorry, short chapter! I'm going to collect my bearings and really work at the next chapters. =) This was a sort of prologue, I guess xD **


	2. Chapter 2

**I am surprised at how many people are enjoying this story, so here is chapter two =D I realised that in chapter one I kept changing tenses by accident; I'm working on that now! xD Please enjoy, and don't fret – this story is going somewhere! **

**Chapter Two; Seen it all before**

Captain Jack Harkness takes a deep breath as he prepares to disembark the cargo ship, exactly one year after he left.

His heart is heavy, his mind broken. Every step weighs him down; ever since Ianto's death, Jack's body has been turned slowly to lead.

After pressing a few buttons on his watch, Jack closes his eyes, exhaling a sigh of both relief and regret. His decision to return to earth is final; though he does not know why he feels such a pull to return.

Perhaps it's the fragments of memories tearing through his mind, or the shivers of pain he feels whenever he allows his mind to drift back to Ianto.

Perhaps it's something to do with the strange girl he swears he can see in his dreams; the dreams of Ianto and himself, of kisses and hugs and conversations past. There's something – or someone – in the corner of his eye.

Intruding.

Jack's attention turns to back to what he is doing as he lands face-first on the ground. The harsh winter air chills his bones instantly. He sits up slowly, spitting earth and grass from his mouth, frowning as he dusts off his clothes. He's forgotten just how unpredictable the Welsh weather is, though as it is winter, Jack finds himself wondering why he is surprised at all.

His now moth-eaten greatcoat billows clouds of dust. Jack raises his head to check his surroundings. He swallows.

Stretching in front of him, in all shapes, sizes and colours, are gravestones. Some are huge affairs, with pure white marbled angels and twisting roses and lilies, flowers caught forever in frozen stone. Others are plain, without a single flower resting across their fronts, forgotten.

Jack paces quietly, respectfully, through the graveyard, his eyes registering names as he browses the deceased.

He stops abruptly.

Stooping down, Jack kneels in front of a polished black stone, his eyes grazing over the many bunches of flowers obscuring his view. He gently moves them to one side, treating them with tenderness; they are not his flowers to touch. They belong to someone who has moved to the other side, who left the world so young, and never had time to see how beautiful it really was.

_Here lies Steven Carter,_

The stone reads. Jack swallows the lump in his throat, his heart even heavier than before. Tears prick at his eyes; he wipes them away angrily.

_Gone so soon, but never forgotten._

_Loving son and grandson,_

_He will remain in our hearts forever. _

Jack is an empty shell compared to what he once was. He has become a ghost, drifting between worlds without ever really knowing where he's going. His eyes have no focus, no meaning to see anymore. Nobody cares about him anymore; he's sure Gwen's moved on, and he's definitely sure that his own daughter Alice will never forgive him for what he's done.

Jack bows his head, paying his final respects to Steven, before leaving his grandson's grave. He'll return someday, perhaps. It would only be fair to Steven.

His breath catches in his throat as he moves on to the next grave. Flowers literally flood it; messages written in ink have run in the constant rain, and ones protected by plastic are limp beneath the sea of petals and sickly-sweet stench of pollen. A year and a half on, and his memory still lives on. Jack's face twitches, as if to smile.

Jack composes himself before pushing away the barrier of flowers this time.

_Here lies Ianto Jones _

_19__th__ August 1983 - _ _9__th__ July 2009_

_Son, brother, uncle, friend,_

_His passing will not be forgotten,_

_And he will be forever loved and missed._

_May his spirit soar free._

Jack's finger traces the letters on the gravestone as tears trickle from his eyes. He's glad, in some ways, that the Hub was destroyed. He couldn't have bared to have had to freeze his young lover.

He replaces the flowers and messages carefully, pulling something from his pocket as he does so.

A small, silver stopwatch. Jack looks at it sadly, a wan smile playing across his face. He kisses the watch's face lightly, before placing it delicately in front of the masses of flowers. Memories of the stopwatch seep into Jack's mind; he shakes his head fiercely, as if believing that will relieve him of the past he so desperately wants to let go of.

"I will remember you," Jack whispers softly into the daylight, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. He's stood here once before; it was after the funeral, something which he couldn't attend. He wanted to, it was just…it didn't feel right.

Instead, he had just come and stood. Stood for hours, watching day turn to night, watching clouds roll over his head. Thinking of something to say.

But not saying anything.

He had stood in a respectful silence, his eyes closed as they were now. He'd plastered a smile on his handsome face, but truthfully, he'd never been able to smile since Ianto's death. Not truly. He'd gone on his travels instead, but the world was too small for him. Everything reminded Jack of his Ianto. That's why he'd run away from it all, and left Gwen behind. She didn't need him, though. She had Rhys. Jack bottled it all up, folding the memories and emotions into the deepest crevices of his mind.

Now, Jack is intent on getting everything out the open. Tell Ianto everything he couldn't when the young man was alive.

"Ianto," He murmurs, slowly sinking to his knees. He runs his hand across the cool marble of the white angel which stands guard over his friend, his hand stopping on the ridged wings, decorated to feel like feathers. A sad smile flickers across Jack's face.

"Ianto," He says again, bending his head so he can read the gravestone once more. His hand rests on the word 'friend'. The other he places on the word 'loved'. "I could never say it back," Jack whispers, his eyes clouding with the storm of tears. "I wanted…I wanted the right time…but it never came. I never…I just never thought it would end so soon."

"I'll always remember you…and I'll never be able to drink coffee again," Jack chuckles lightly at this. He remembers a time when he came into the hub with a cup of Starbucks coffee, and Ianto had knocked the polystyrene from his grasp so quickly that coffee had soaked through Jack's hair. Ianto had scowled, before storming over to his coffee machine, and handing Jack a cup of his favourite blend. He had then scolded Jack, before shaking his head, and kissing him gently, handing him a towel. Ianto had always liked Jack to drink his coffee, and his coffee only.

"But you know that," Jack continues, even though Ianto cannot hear him, "You know that your coffee is the only stuff for me. You meant…mean so much to me, Ianto. Even when you still had Lisa hidden away below the hub, you meant more to me than the world itself. When she had knocked you out, I held you. I kissed you. I couldn't let you go. When I left with the Doctor, I kept you in my mind. Every touch, every kiss, every smile, was worth so much. The memories were what kept me alive and going…"

"I just…I never thought you loved me, Ianto. I thought it was only me who loved you. I could never have dreamed to have a man like you love a man like me. I'm nothing more than a con man. But you loved it. I don't know why; and I never will. You've never, ever been just a blip in time. Never…but before you go, before I go, I have to tell you something. You deserved to know when you were alive, but now you're gone, I have to tell you. I have to…"

Jack swallows again before saying the words that are said too little.

"Ianto Jones, I love you. I love you more than you'll ever know," The American lowers his hands from the gravestone, instead allowing them to rest in his lap.

"I'm sorry," He whispers eventually, his voice choked with tears. The American brings a slip of paper from his pocket, along with a pen. He scrawls a note carelessly, before placing it beneath the stopwatch.

He's made his promise. Now it's time to follow it through.

_Ianto,_

_A thousand years. I promise. _

-x-x-x-

The Dreamer jerks awake from a sleep she never meant to have.

She's seen him.

He's at a graveyard.

He's back.

He's come back.

The Dreamer pulls on a coat, slamming out of the tiny flat she's lived alone in for months now, and runs towards Cardiff's city centre.

-x-x-x-

Jack presses a kiss to the marble angel's lips, stroking its cheek, before getting to his feet.

He turns from Ianto's grave, his greatcoat swooping out behind him like a superhero's cape. He wipes the tears away on his sleeve.

He heads towards Cardiff's city centre.

-x-x-x-

The Dreamer wanders aimlessly down Queen's Street.

Her mind is elsewhere, and she does not notice as she barges into people, who raise their fists at her, muttering darkly beneath their breath.

She doesn't know where her feet are carrying her; if she's completely honest, she doesn't care, either.

Cardiff is just a shell without the person she so dearly needs to find. Without the love she's seen so many nights now.

She begins to run, her feet pounding.

The Dreamer runs towards the Bay.

-x-x-x-

Jack Harkness stands by Roald Dahl Plass, arms folded. The Bay has been repaired as best as was possible, though Jack knows that beneath the new plaza, no hub lays. The echoes of the past still haunt the Bay; even now, Jack can smell burning from the explosion which had torn him to pieces.

The place no longer has the same air about it; it's just an empty casing. The butterfly of the good times past has long since flown away, leaving behind the dark memories which will haunt Jack forever.

They never rebuilt the water tower, and, Jack knew, if he bothers to go round the back of the Bay, they won't have rebuilt the tiny tourist information office, either.

Jack walks along the plaza, before sitting heavily down on the steps leading down to it. His heart stops for a moment, as he realises the last time he sat here was with Ianto.

He runs a hand through his perfectly styled brown hair, blowing upwards so his fringe flickers.

His heart beats in time with what sounds like footsteps coming from the other side of the Plass.

He raises his head slightly as a girl pounds across the Plass, frowning as she turns towards him.

Recognition flashes across her face, reflecting in Jack's own expression.

He's seen this girl before.

-x-x-x-

The Dreamer turns her head a fraction as she storms across the sandy-coloured bricks. Though the event was a year ago, she can still smell the flames and smoke of the explosion which destroyed the Torchwood Hub.

Her eye catches a man in a grey greatcoat.

Her heart almost skips a beat.

It's him.

The American in her dreams.

"Hey!" She calls, thrusting her hand in her pocket. She clutches the thing which sits sombrely in the lining, running a finger over its ridged edges. She knows it can help.

The American man scowls at her, before turning tail and running.

-x-x-x-

"What the hell…" Jack breathes, looking over his shoulder. The girl's expression is determined; she won't stop until she catches him. He grunts, before pushing himself even harder.

Is she crazy or something?

Jack doesn't know. He only knows the uneasy feeling of vague recognition building in his mind; he's sure he's seen this girl before. Somehow, somewhere, he's seen her before. And he's sure it wasn't just passing her in the street.

He's seen her in the corner of his eye.

-x-x-x-

The girl calls out again, her breathing uneven, her heartbeat irregular. She's always hated exercise.

"JACK!" She screams, stooped over as she stops. She pants, watching the figure in front of her grow smaller and smaller as he flees from her view. Pedestrians turn to glare at her, rolling their eyes and muttering to each other. They probably think she's high on something.

"JACK!" She tries again, too late. The man's already far, far away.

-x-x-x-

"JACK!" The girl's calls reach Jack's ears just as he is about to duck down an alleyway. He turns around, spotting the girl standing yards away from him. Anger boils in his blood. Can't she see that he just wants to be left alone? He wants to grieve, like he's done every day for the past year. Every day since that fateful day in room thirteen.

There are a hundred questions he wants to ask her, however, even though he just wants to walk away.

Who is she?

What does she want?

_And how on earth does she know his name? _

-x-x-x-

The girl sees that Jack has stopped in his tracks; a slight smile plays across her bedraggled face. She's finally meeting him; and she knows she can help. Though in her dreams she is weak, defenceless, in life she knows she has something which can change Jack's life.

She wants to make it better.

She approaches the American man warily, one arm extended in caution, as if nearing an unstable dog. She swallows before speaking again.

"Hello," She says quietly, stopping about two metres in front of Jack. Her voice is hoarse and strained from all the running. His face remains fixed in a scowling mask. Clouds swirl overhead, dancing a complicated and rehearsed careen until they turn the blue to dusky grey. Rain begins to fall, creating small, dark patches on the pavement.

The Dreamer doesn't notice. She doubts that Jack does, either.

"Who are you?" Jack asks, his voice harsh and cold. His eyes are dull and lifeless, no light stirring behind them. This is a broken man, thinks The Dreamer.

"I am…" The Dreamer pauses. She is so rarely asked of her name, yet she feels obliged to tell this man she knows so much about. She's not sure whether to tell him that she is a dreamer. Maybe he'd laugh at her if she said that.

"I am Megan," She says quietly. She clutches the thing in her pocket, stroking the ridges and dents running across it in a circular motion. It soothes her to do this. She smiles slightly, before looking up. Jack is staring at her, a harsh, chilling stare, even colder than the winter's air around them. If his stare could control the weather, Megan would be face-deep in snow.

"Well…Megan. I don't know what you want, but I suggest you quit following me. It's getting kinda freaky," Jack says, his brow furrowing. He tries to speak lightly, but he can hear the accusation tinting his voice. The girl in front of him seems unaware; or if she did notice his harsh tone, she's just politely ignoring it.

"I want to help you," She says simply.

-x-x-x-

Jack's eyebrows rise before falling again. Nothing can help him now. His heart tugs painfully, and Jack finds himself placing a hand across it, as if trying to hold it together so it doesn't break. _Don't lose it now, Jack. _

"How?" He asks, regretting so immediately. He's not sure he wants to know; God only knows what this girl's going to say. Curiosity killed the cat, and all that. Only in Jack's case, it would only kill him for a few moments.

What she does say is not what he's expecting at all.

"Simple," she says, smiling mysteriously.

Jack frowns as she speaks once more.

"I'm going to save Ianto Jones."

**Oooh, freaky! xD The Dreamer kind of changes; she's scared and alone in her dreams, so she makes up for it by being an arrogant sod. Weird, huuuh? XD I know, it kinda sucked…but no worries! More will come soon! =D I am going somewhere with this, don't worry XD Reviews are love… =) A big thank you to everyone who's reading my fic, and also to everybody who's reviewed so far – you're all awesome =D (PS sorry for the mile-long chapter XD) **


	3. Chapter 3

**PS I don't own Torchwood.**

**So here is Chapter 3! =D A big, big thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! I really appreciate all comments and reviews about my work. I'm trying to get some action in here somewhere, 'cause I'm saving the best bits till last =P Gasp, will there even be some Gwen? 0=**

**But I will get more dreams in soon. =D I am watching the entire series (or attempting, hehe) for some lovely Jack/Ianto moments for dreams, so keep reading!**

**Chapter Three; Seeing Through the Facade**

"I'm going to save Ianto Jones," The girl says.

Jack's eyes widen as he hears the Welshman's name. He's whispered it so many times, caressed it with his thoughts, and kept it in his mind forever. He just hasn't heard it said by someone else for months. It hurts to hear it. It actually physically hurts.

"W-what?" Jack's harsh voice turns wobbly, a childlike fear building inside of him. The girl can see the unease in his eyes; behind her own eyes, and the confident, slightly arrogant mask she wears, Jack can see she's nervous.

"I said," The girl – Megan, was it? – repeats, "I am going to save Ianto Jones." Her tone of voice is so matter-of-fact that rage builds up inside of Jack. How can she say such things without even a hint of emotion?

How can she not see that the words she speaks are tearing Jack apart? Nothing can bring Ianto back.

Jack knows this all too well.

When he was in space, grieving on a half-empty cargo ship, squatting among boxes, containers, and, oddly, a large stack of alphabet soup, he had tried to figure out ways to bring Ianto back. All of them involved his Doctor; and none of them could be fulfilled.

The Doctor would never have allowed any of them. He'd always said that if he saved anyone, he'd become part of the events, and he couldn't let that happen. Jack couldn't help but resent him just the slightest.

He'd do anything – almost anything – to get his Ianto back. But this girl, he's never even met her before. Her claim is so farfetched; he doesn't want to hear about it. He's tried, and failed – and he knows nobody else can bring him back.

"You are, are you?" Jack says, poison dripping from every word. He can't stand to have this insignificant person tell him what they're going to do with his Ianto – he wants him left alone. The girl nods curtly. Jack presses his lips together to try and contain his anger.

"It's impossible," He says, his voice cracking just the slightest bit. "I…I've tried," He admits, feeling rather foolish. He hasn't really tried; just had ideas. But he's not going to admit this in front of a young girl. He frowns, suddenly suspicious.

"How…how did you know I'd know I-Ianto Jones? And…how do you know my name? Who are you? Who are you really?" Jack asks shakily, taking a couple of steps forwards, his head on one side and his eyebrows furrowed.

The girl just smiles mysteriously, and Jack growls in anger. Suddenly, he rushes forwards, scooping her off of her feet and darting into a nearby alleyway. He dumps her on her feet against a wall, his heart beating faster. He wants answers.

-x-x-x-

The Dreamer feels her breath leave her body as she lands on the ground with a heavy 'thud'. She swallows, her nerves tangling together. She's trying to keep her cool, putting on a brave front; but really, all she wants to do is get down on her knees and beg.

Beg for this man to let her help him. Because the dreams are tearing her apart.

Instead, she focuses on his questions. For now. Until the sobs tear through her shaky mask, until she breaks.

"I know a lot about you, Captain Jack Harkness. More than most do, actually," Megan says, trying to maintain eye contact, though this is difficult when she is being frozen by the cold stare from Jack's icy blue eyes. She can feel her voice breaking already, her heart beating faster. She's not really confident. She's a scared young girl, whose life has been torn to shreds by a tiny grey **thing**.

She knows what the thing does. It's shown her. It's told her. It's asked her to help it, to help herself.

She can already feel tears in her eyes. Closing them, she takes a deep breath before continuing. She rubs the thing in her pocket again; it becomes warmer, as if comforting the girl.

"I know…because I see you. Every night, in fact. You're in my dreams; you and your Ianto Jones. All of them. I-I'm an intruder. I'm forced to watch other people's deepest emotions whilst I sit, silently screaming and begging. I watch the past. I don't…want it…but it comes…" The Dreamer's voice gets higher and faster as she reaches the end of her speech. She can feel her shoulders shaking; Jack will have to be blind not to see how much of a façade she is putting on.

-x-x-x-

Jack swallows, his frown returning. He doesn't want frown lines to destroy his gorgeous face (who does?), but this girl, this 'Intruder', is frustrating him deeply.

"Why do you see them, then? Why don't you shut them out? Why are you so damned nosy? Ianto has nothing to do with you at all!" Jack shouts, not realising he is attracting attention from the street behind. Frustrated tears fill his eyes. He wipes them away angrily.

Megan turns her head, nodding at a startled woman in a blue pashmina, dismissing her, before turning back to Jack. She's lost all confidence now, and her true self is showing through.

Cowardly, alone and scared.

"I hate seeing them, Jack. I know they're not mine to see…they're not my business. If I could stop, then I would, gladly. I can't…I can't live watching you suffer so. It's…it's the **thing**, though. It won't let me stop…" The Dreamer's voice shakes as tears fill her eyes, and she drops to her knees in front of Jack.

"Please," she sobs, burying her face in her hands, "let me help. I can't go on knowing he's dead anymore. I have to…bring…get him back. For you. For me. There have been so many others…but none like you and him. You…you _fascinate _me. I don't want to intrude on your memories…but they're so _beautiful_. The thing…it loves them. I love them, too. I can't watch you suffer anymore, Jack."

"I've seen the way you cry at night," The Dreamer says in a desperate whisper, "the way you grieve. Imagine what I can do…I can bring him back. I can make it all ok. But just don't make me see anymore. I can't watch it again…he dies, and you live. Your grief will live on forever; and it will haunt me as long as I wander this earth. I don't…want to be selfish, but I need you…I need you to help. Please. Please…let me help…please," the girl shook as the sobs rip through her; she wails, shudders cascading through her.

Jack doesn't really understand where it stopped being about helping him and it started being about helping this girl, but he is so very curious.

He feels that he should offer a hand; the girl is now rocking back and forth on the ground, moaning. He knows he should comfort her; but who is there to comfort him?

Who can make it all better for him?

So instead of pulling the girl close to him, Jack shakes his head in disgust, before striding away.

"Don't be so ridiculous. Nothing can ever bring him back. And you have no business here. I never want to see you again," He hisses, running from the alleyway and disappearing into the throng of the crowds.

-x-x-x-

Day quickly turns to evening, bringing with it a drizzle which drips miserably onto the Dreamer's shivering body.

The Dreamer has ruined it; instead of keeping her cool, she's broken to pieces in front of him.

And now he's gone.

Again.

He'll never let her help him now. She hasn't told him what the thing does; what it can bring to him.

How it can change his life.

Megan knows she has to find Jack again, to make him see sense. She knows he has nowhere to live; his home was in the Hub. Megan has knowledge of this from dreams in the past. Eventually, he'll come back to her.

She knows where he'll go.

Megan shakily gets to her feet, bringing out the thing from her pocket. She slides her gaze to rest on it.

"I'm sorry," She mouths, before brushing the tears away from her eyes and turning to walk back to her flat.

-x-x-x-

_The Dreamer finds herself walking through the sewer-like rooms of the Torchwood Hub. The silver surface of the water tower stands proud in front of her, water forming a small pool beneath her feet. The Dreamer can't help but smile slightly. _

_To one side, a cute young man and a pretty Japanese woman stand. _

_The Dreamer knows this is Ianto Jones and Toshiko Sato. _

_Their faces are awash with grief, though they seem to be trying to cover it up. They stand with their backs to the intruder, oblivious to her curious mind. They are watching screens at a work station, and The Dreamer can see, if she cranes her neck, that a woman with raven-black hair paces across them. _

_She paces beside a man in a drawer, whose skin is cold and pale. She stops, caressing the man's face, whispering inaudible words to him, pulling the plastic sheets firmly around him. She teases his hair with her fingers, running her hands down his cheeks. Tears stain her face. She strokes the face of Jack Harkness with trembling fingers. _

_As the woman opens her mouth, The Dreamer catches glimpse of a small gap between her front teeth. The Dreamer approaches the monitors, assuming a position beside Ianto. Again she intrudes on the feelings of others._

_Again the grief is too much for her young mind. _

_Tears begin to run down The Dreamer's face as she realises that the American is not waking up; she turns to Ianto to see the same realisation reflected in his own crystal blue eyes. _

"_No," She whispers. Though she's seen this certain point in time before, she still hates to see the young Welshman cry. _

_Moments ago, he went into Jack's office to smell his greatcoat, clinging on to the last fragments of Jack. It broke The Dreamer's heart._

_The thing buzzes in The Dreamer's pocket; she pats it lovingly, as she watches the monitors._

_Jack has woken up. The Japanese lady and the Welshman have not realised; The Dreamer is anxious to tell them._

"_Look!" She says eagerly, "You don't need to fret! He's back! He's safe…" She trails off._

_Nobody can hear her._

_She's just the intruder. _

_Her head rises as the Japanese woman runs over to one side of the Hub; The Dreamer follows her to see her run straight into Jack's arms._

_A small smile plays across The Dreamer's face. The Welshman has realised he's there, too._

_The thing in The Dreamer's pocket vibrates as Ianto's strong emotions of bleakness, relief and pure love wash over The Dreamer's heart. She breathes them in, as if smelling the rich aroma of coffee. The happy emotions are always the best._

_The young Welshman approaches Jack awkwardly, as if wondering whether to embrace his love in front of the rest of his team. The Dreamer's heart soars as Jack pulls the young man close, burying his face into his shoulder. He pulls away slightly, only to press his lips to the Welshman's own, pouring his heart and soul into Ianto._

_The Dreamer walks over to them, looking up at them with a light heart and a sunny face._

_She's happy._

"_Thank you…" She whispers to the thing in her pocket, who flashes warmth in return. _

_The Dreamer's mind is clear of anguish and despair as Jack and Ianto are reunited. _

_Maybe it's not the end of days after all. _

The Dreamer gasps as reality pulls her from her dreams. She rubs her eyes, running a hand through her fluffy hair. She smiles, sighing contentedly.

It's a rarity to see the beautiful, tender, happy moments of Jack and Ianto.

Usually the thing likes to show her arguments and deaths, sorrow and woe.

Even the happy dream brings tears to The Dreamer's eyes as she realises Jack will never live anything like what she just saw ever again.

She has to help him.

She has to.

**I am bringing something, don't worry! It's not all drabble xD **

**The next chapter, I'm perhaps thinking of bringing in a bit of Gwen/Rhys, and maybe the Torchwood warehouse? But Jack won't be stubborn for too much longer. He'll crack eventually! =P **


	4. Chapter 4

**PS I don't own Torchwood.**

**So here is Chapter 4! Again, I just want to thank everyone who's been reading and reviewing – you are honestly keeping me sane! xD I'm hoping to make this about 7 or 8 chapters, so not too long. The 'thing' does play a big part in this, so look out for it! Also, there are a lot of songs which are inspiring me with their beautiful lyrics; see 'End' by Secondhand Serenade, 'Chasing Cars' by Snow Patrol, and 'Alone Without You' by Mark Owen. They are all beautiful, and have provided a lot of inspiration for me. Go check them out! =D **

**Chapter Four; The Thing**

Jack sits alone in the abandoned Torchwood One warehouse. It's painfully obvious to him that nobody has been here since the incidents last year with the 456.

The computers still sit atop rickety desks; the blood of Clement McDonald still stains the concrete floor. A discarded pair of grey tracksuit bottoms lie on top of the couch Jack sits on, and next to it, a packet of coffee sits. On a table to one side, a coffee-maker stands self-consciously, looking out of place among the old barrels and coils of ropes which litter the floor of the warehouse.

Jack looks at the trousers with a wan smile, fingering the material, and remembering his utter disgust at having to wear them in front of Ianto.

Ianto.

Every time Jack thinks his name, memories of him come flooding back. Ianto naked, Ianto crying, Ianto laughing. Smiling, frowning, making coffee, kissing Jack, touching Jack. Ianto bringing out a side to Jack he'd never seen before, or not seen for a long time. Since 1941, if Jack remembers correctly.

Ianto's death also stalks Jack's mind, discolouring all happy memories and planting itself in the tangle of his thoughts, never leaving his side. Jack can't forget, and he doesn't want to – but he wishes he can think of the happy times without being tormented by room thirteen.

Oh, Ianto. Why did you go so soon?

_Why did you go and leave me on my own? _Jack thinks to himself, trying to swallow the thick lump in his throat. _Where did the time go? _

It has flown by, that's where it had gone. Jack knew that employees of Torchwood never usually lived to see thirty-five, yet he'd forgotten to embrace every moment with his precious Ianto.

And now he's gone. Though eighteen months have passed Jack by without a whisper, it seems that only yesterday Jack and his love entered the Thames House, surrendering their guns and announcing they were Torchwood.

If only Jack had convinced Ianto to stay behind.

If only he'd told him to go before trying to reason with the 456.

If only he'd told him he loved him before he left him for good.

If only, if only, if only.

The past can never be changed; yet Jack has a chance to bring back his Ianto. But for what? Ianto would still leave him again someday, dying of old age whilst Jack stayed the same. He'd still turn grey and whither away, whilst Jack remained young and fresh. To bring him back would just be selfish. He doesn't even know _how _Megan plans to bring him back. If it's another resurrection gauntlet, then she can stuff.

And yet, Jack finds himself considering the 'intruders' offer. Jack will probably kick himself when he finds out more, but for now, it can't hurt to play along, can it? He can always disagree…and yet, he can always agree, and get his beautiful Ianto back.

Jack remains on the couch, head in his hands, knowing that eventually, the strange girl named Megan will find him again.

-x-x-x-

"Taxi!" Megan runs out of the block of flats, waving an arm desperately at a passing cab, whilst trying to shield herself from the rain pelting down on her. It's seven in the morning, yet Megan feels as awake as ever.

The car slows down lazily, allowing Megan to clamber into the backseat, receiving a tut from the driver as she wets his upholstery.

Megan ignores him, delving her hand into her back pocket and stroking the thing tenderly. She gives him an address, and the car pulls away, the wheels sending up walls of water behind it.

Megan rests her elbow on the window, her face cradled in one hand, watching the world whiz by. Rain cuts down the glass, running dents in the thick layer of grime which seems to cover the entire taxi. The driver doesn't try and talk to her, and for this, Megan is grateful.

It's probably because she's only young, and drivers don't tend to both talking to youths. They just carry them to and from pubs and bars, tutting as they throw up in the backseat, rolling their eyes as swearwords buzz angrily in the air.

The taxi pulls up beside an abandoned warehouse.

-x-x-x-

Jack turns his head a fraction as he hears a car pull up outside. He sighs, taking a deep, deep breath as he prepares himself for the girl. He doesn't know whether she'll be the stubborn girl who was so confident, or the girl who looked so scared, so fragile, so defenceless to her own fears.

The girl enters the warehouse, her footsteps echoing throughout. She casts a shadow across the floor, and Jack can see she has a hand in her pocket. She pauses a few feet away from Jack, her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Hey," Jack says calmly, gesturing the spot beside him on the couch. Megan looks up through her hair, nodding once, before seating herself as far from Jack as possible. He sighs again.

"Look, about yesterday…" Jack begins to say, but Megan interrupts him.

"I know, I know," She says, exasperated, "It was completely out of place for me to even suggest such a thing. I shouldn't have been spying in on you…even though I can't help it. But I was messing with your feelings, and that was wrong. It's up to you whether you want him back or not. I shouldn't have just rushed into it…I'm sorry." Megan sounds completely and utterly sincere; a flicker of a smile crosses Jack's face.

"It's ok," He murmurs, reaching out and touching Megan's shoulder. She jumps at the touch, before flushing red and pressing her lips together, nodding. "I actually wanted to say…well, first off. Tell me about this…'thing' you keep mentioning. I want to know more. I want to see it."

-x-x-x-

Megan is surprised at Jack's words; she was sure he was going to turn her away. She nods at his last request, reaching into her pocket and bringing out the thing.

It is ugly, yet strangely attractive to the human eye. It is a dull grey colour, yet it seems to have an underlay of the rainbow, a strange, colourful spectrum which is only visible if you view the thing from a certain angle. It has two distinct segments, though Megan is only sure of the functions of one half.

Ridges and smooth dents run all over the thing, creating strange, swirling patterns, and making the thing a pleasure to touch. In one half of it, the patterns run in circles, looking like a ripple in water. In the centre of the ripples is a small hole.

The other half's lines are a cascading mess of intricate designs and impossible patterns. They represent the ever-changing powers of dreams, and the delicate tendrils of life that are emotions. Megan knows that this side is what shows her the dreams.

She explains all this to Jack, watching for his reactions. He seems strangely fascinated.

"Where did you find it? What do you see?" He asks, intrigued.

"It was by the Bay. I went there after all that children stuff had blown over. They'd just started rebuilding it, you see. I walked around all the wreckage, and it was just kinda floating in the water. I picked it up, and something…some part of me went into it. It was weird…kind of like an orange light. I felt it leave me…and that night, the dreams came. I've seen so many people, Jack. So much emotion…it seems to feed from my emotions by amplifying those felt in dreams. It makes me see them so it can survive. So it can keep the connection. I only began to see you around a year ago. My first dream was of you and Ianto dancing at a wedding," Megan smiles at the memory, but the smile fades when she sees Jack's expression. She continues talking tactfully.

"I began to see you and him almost every night. It was…fascinating. Watching your relationship grow and flourish, even though I never see things in the right order. I saw…I saw him die…before I saw him meet you for the first time. It was…I felt…it was torture. I felt…I felt like I was you, feeling the same things as you. And what I felt frightened me. That's why…that's why I had to find you. Because the thing told me that it can help you. That I can help you. And…and it told me how," Megan finished, looking up at Jack, slightly embarrassed. His brow furrows for a moment, before smoothing out completely.

"How can it help? How does it plan to bring I-Ianto back?" Jack asks, trying to keep the shakiness from his voice as he says Ianto's name. Saying it sends shivers down his spine, and pain tearing through his heart.

Megan pauses for a moment before continuing. What the thing told her…at first, it had sickened her, but then, as she thought it through, it made sense. Who would miss her at all? Who would notice?

"It…you see how it is split into two halves?" Jack nods. "One half shows you dreams; fragments of the past, to be exact – but only those of great emotion. It's usually weddings, murders, deaths, suicides, or simply beautiful, touching moments…and sometimes sexual tension. It shows them to the holder, then feeds off the amplified emotion which is put into the holder, then taken out again. It's basically an emotion megaphone…which is why, when I was watching Ianto die, I felt like I was dying too. Because it was how you felt, just made bigger and more powerful."

Megan scratches the back of her hand, placing the thing carefully between Jack and herself. "The other half…it told me it makes dreams come true. It told me it 'corrects the past', but…it comes at a price. It has the power to change somebody into somebody – or something - else; but only if what you are trying to change into is dead. I…tested it, once. I had a dead mouse, and a pigeon, which I got from the bay. When the pigeon touched the thing, the orange light delved into it and took a piece of its soul. It became the holder. I put some of the mouse's DNA into that small hole there," Megan points to the hole in the middle of the ripples on the right-hand side of the thing, "And after about an hour, the pigeon began to change. It was incredible…and so moving. The pigeon's soul left its body and flew away, and then it turned into a mouse. Even its brain was modified so that it became that actual mouse. When I took the device back, I became the holder again, and the mouse ran off,"

Jack's jaw hangs open.

Megan blushes. "You see…I thought that if I got a hold of some of Ianto's DNA…I could…become him. There wouldn't be a trace of me left. I'd be gone with the wind. I won't be missed. I live all alone, with no family or friends. All I've got is my dreams. And…they tell me how much you loved Ianto. How much you need him. How much you yearn for him."

Jack begins to shake his head. "Oh no. I can't let you do that…I can't let you sacrifice yourself…I can't let you die, and know it was my fault…" Jack says, but Megan shakes her head abruptly.

"No. It wouldn't be your fault, because it would be my choice. I want to do this, Jack. I want to escape the dreams. The thing…it'll just keep showing me them forever. It will drive me mad. If I change in the way it wants me to, then it will go away. Ianto won't be troubled by it like I was. And you can have him back," Megan says, smiling. Happy tears fill her eyes. "Don't you see? He can come back to you. And I can escape the dreams. It will all be ok…it will be ok…it will…please let me, Jack. Please…" Megan trails off as she sees Jack's eyes brim with tears.

"To be so selfless…thank you. Thank you so, so much…" Jack whispers. Megan's face melts into a soft, tender smile. She shifts along the sofa, careful not to touch the thing, and wraps her arms around Jack.

"No…thank you. If you let me do this, you'll be making me the happiest soul on the planet…no, in the galaxy," The Dreamer says to Jack, her heart racing. He stiffens, before putting an arm around her shoulder.

"What do we need to do?" He breaths into her ear.

The Dreamer smiles dreamily. "First of all, we need some of Ianto's DNA. And I think I know just where to find it…"

**Oooh, weird! xD Betcha didn't think the thing would be doing that! xD It is an odd way of bringing him back, but the thing is alien, and I will be explaining that further in the next chapter, as well as giving it a name. Sorry if it's a bit confusing xD Again, thanks to everyone who's been reading, and look out for more coming soon! **


	5. Chapter 5

**PS I don't own Torchwood.**

**And here is chapter 5! **

**I'm enjoying writing this story so much! I'm glad everyone seems to like it, too – thanks to all of you who are taking the time to review. It really means a lot to me! Thanks again! =D **

**Chapter Five; Devices of Dreams**

Jack's knuckles are white as he grips the steering wheel of the stolen cab. He'd managed to knock out the driver, who was still sitting outside the warehouse – Megan must have told him to wait in case Jack wasn't interested in her offer. He'd put him on the couch, before shushing Megan and shoving her into the passenger seat.

He's realising now that driving from the warehouse to where Megan wants to go will take a long time; one place is in Cardiff, the other in London. He hadn't thought that through.

She's asleep now, her face resting against the window, her hands clasped in her lap. Jack's thoughts are a mess.

He's going along with it. Somebody is going to die…for him.

What did she say?

She'd be 'gone with the wind'. That nobody would notice, that nobody would care. Nobody would bat an eyelid as she disappeared forever.

Jack's hands gripped the wheel even tighter.

When Ianto comes back…he'd be mortal again. Someday, he'd leave Jack again, only when that happened, there'd be no way to get him back. He'd be dead forever.

Jack can't think straight. It would be selfish of him to bring Ianto back, only to force him to relive his death later on in life. He can't let that happen.

When Megan wakes up, Jack will tell her that he's changed his mind.

He'll tell her he can't let Ianto go again, can't let him go. He can't live without his Ianto. If he sees him die again, Jack knows he'll break apart completely.

Jack finally pulls into where he was heading; at the far end, a large building stands, cut into segments by an array of green corrugated doors.

The resting places of deceased Torchwood Three members' property.

Jack looks at Megan, before opening the cab's door and stepping into the light drizzle which fogs the afternoon sun. He breathes deeply before heading towards the green doors.

He's able to name the person hidden away behind every room; Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Suzie Costello…

He pauses at the storage room at the end. He has to compose himself before he pulls open the door.

"The life and times of Ianto Jones," He murmurs, stepping inside and flicking a switch so the whole place lights up.

-x-x-x-

"_Oh yeah. Lovin' that officey feel..." The Dreamer finds herself standing in a room filled with desks and computers; to the far end, Jack stands, hands on hips, whilst his young friend, dressed in a pink shirt and dark suit, sifts through numerous draws. _

_The Dreamer smiles, shaking her head softly. She's seen this dream before. The thing obviously likes humour. It buzzes excitedly in her hand. _

"_Always get…excited in these places. To me, they're exotic," Jack continues, grabbing a pillar and swinging around it so he faces the young Welshman across the room. The younger man blushes, before raising an eyebrow. "Office romances…photocopying your butt. Though maybe not your butt; while we're here, why don't we-"_

_The young Welshman cuts in before Jack can continue. The Dreamer feels a pang of hurt in her body; Ianto is trying to stop himself from shouting at Jack. "The rift was active at these co-ordinates approximately 200 feet above ground. Means this floor, or the roof…" _

_Jack purses his lips as his friend turns away from him. His heart jolts with guilt; he'd left this man behind, and it wasn't going to be easy to get him back. He'd hurt this man. Jack swallows before continuing._

"_How are you, Ianto?" He asks, concern tinting his voice. The Welshman looks at him in surprise, before turning away again. The Dreamer knows his true feelings, but sees that the man covers them up. He doesn't want Jack's sympathy._

"_All the better for having you back, sir," He says plainly, keeping the formalities he used when he first began working for Jack. Jack obviously doesn't like this. _

"_Can we maybe drop the 'sir', now? I mean, while I was away, I was thinking. Maybe we could, y'know, when this is all done…dinner, a movie…" Jack trails off as Ianto looks up again, his surprise echoing into The Dreamer's head. She remains where she is, her head on one side. This is one dream where she doesn't feel the need to intervene. Even though nobody notices her. _

"_Are you…asking me out on a date?" _

"_Interested?" Jack asks. _

"_Huh," Ianto pauses. "Well…as long as it's not in an office. Some fetishes should be kept to yourself," Jack chuckles at this, moving papers around on a desk. He sighs._

"_Looks like we're going to have to go through every draw, bin and plant pot."_

"_Right, ok. I'll do this floor; don't want you getting over excited," Ianto says, smiling at Jack, "And you take the roof. You're good on roofs," Ianto stops again as he thinks something through. Confusion creeps from his mind to The Dreamer's. The thing turns cold in her palm for a moment._

"_Jack?" Ianto asks, and Jack turns his head, eyebrows raised, "Why are we helping him?" He is referring to Captain John Hart; The Dreamer's seen __**him **__plenty of times. With Jack. She shudders at the memories, and the thing in her hand does, too – it doesn't care much for him, either._

"_He's a reminder of my past. I want him gone," Jack says simply, turning towards the doors so he can head onto the roof. He turns back to Ianto for a moment. "By the way…was that a yes?"_

_Ianto flushes. "Yes…" He mutters, looking up at Jack. "Yes." _

_Jack leaves the room with a smile on his face, and The Dreamer is filled with warmth. _

_She moves over to Ianto, placing a ghostly hand on his shoulder. _

"_I'll save you," She murmurs, before she drifts out of the dream. _

Megan awakens in the cab; she turns her head to see that Jack has left. She exits the vehicle, craning her neck to see where Jack has gone.

She notes an open green door, like that of what you'd find on a garage, and heads towards it.

-x-x-x-

Jack stands, hands on hips, looking at the array of objects in front of him. He breathes the smell of them deeply; the scent of coffee still lingers in the air. Jack had fought back tears when clearing Ianto's apartment; Jack had found so many things that reminded him of Ianto, little objects that would have little significance to anybody else.

Jack hated having his photograph taken, but he found many of himself and Ianto stacked in neat piles in Ianto's drawers. They now reside in a box, which balances on top of a coffee machine. That's all Ianto is now – boxes of memories.

"Where do we start?" Jack asks nobody in particular.

"I don't know," comes a reply from behind him. Jack whirls around to see Megan leaning against the doorframe, the 'thing' clasped in her left hand.

"What…" Jack begins, breathing deeply before asking his next question, "What happens when Ianto's time is up? What happens then? He'll die again, just like before, and I won't be able to get him back. I can't live through that again, Megan. I can't…" Jack's shoulders begin to shake as tears rack through him. Megan's voice is tinted with emotion as she speaks, tears welling in her own eyes.

"I've worked it out, Jack. It's…the thing, it can do amazing things. I'll tell you when I change. We need to focus on finding a significant part of Ianto right now. The thing can wait," Megan says. Jack turns to her.

"What even _is _this thing? You haven't even told me what it's actually called…it's obviously an alien device. What is it?" Jack asks, wiping tears away and frowning.

-x-x-x-

"What is it?"

Megan runs a hand through her sodden hair, flicking the wet strands from her face. She knew this question would come around soon enough.

"It's called a Dream Device. It came from a planet far, far away…it was so lonely. It showed me, in one of my first dreams. It was created by a race called the Dagras, to help communication. They spoke by using emotions, sending them to each other in the forms of dreams and visions. They fed from these…and in turn, so did the Dream Device. This one…it got lost. It wandered onto Earth by accident, and it can't get home. So it found me. And…now, it wants me to help you. I want to help you. If I do, it will have enough energy to get home…and you will have saved me from the dreams," Tears fall from Megan's eyes, "It needs you. I need you. I need it to save me. I need you to save me."

-x-x-x-

Megan's voice chokes with tears as she self-consciously tries to drive them away.

Jack swallows, before turning back to Ianto's possessions.

"A significant part of him, huh?" Jack asks coolly, passing over all that Megan has just said. He could tell, as soon as he saw it, that it wasn't from this world. It was like a television and a phone, all rolled into one pebble-sized package. The Dagras must be intelligent to have been able to create something so fascinating.

Jack still doesn't understand why it wants to help _him_ in particular. Maybe it likes him. Jack grins to himself as he imagines a device hitting on him. How strange that would be…he snaps back to reality as Megan speaks again.

"Yeah. Something he used a lot. Something that still has echoes and remnants of him on…" She trails off as she digs in a box and brings out what was Ianto's favourite suit. Jack frowns.

"Why do you need that?"

Megan turns to him, raising her eyebrow and smiling slightly. "If you were waking up after a year and a half of being dead, you'd hardly want to wake up in girls clothes, would you?"

Jack, after a brief moment, returns the smile. "I guess not." He can imagine Ianto's horrified expression if he woke up in girl's jeans. He looks at Megan, then back to the suit.

"Does that have enough of him in it?" Jack asks. Megan shrugs, before holding the Dream Device over the suit. Jack can see it shiver in Megan's hand. She shakes her head.

"No. It has to be something he looked at every day, something which he kept on him always. Something of great importance."

Jack delves into the boxes, running his fingers through ties and cufflinks, until he finds what he's looking for. A picture of Ianto and himself, taken at Gwen's wedding. They're dancing together, slowly, beautifully.

The picture has been creased over thousands of times of being looked at, of being touched and stroked. On the back, Ianto's painfully neat handwriting writes a message which is enough of a remnant.

_Jack and myself. A dance into eternity…_

He grabs Megan's hand, pulling her back to the cab.

"Jack? What the…" She struggles feebly as he dumps her in the passenger seat. He turns to face her, his face lit up slightly. He shows her the picture, and Megan's face reflects his own.

"Now what?" He asks suddenly, crestfallen.

-x-x-x-

Megan's eyes meet Jack's. "We've got to wait until night. Then we're going to make dreams come true."

Jack nods, starting the car. Megan directs him where to go, and the two of them leave behind memories of Ianto in their wake.

They head towards Cardiff bay, the Dream Device glowing orange in Megan's hand. In her other hand, she holds a small music player. She'll need it later.

He's coming back.

Ianto's coming back.

_Thank you, _the device hums to Megan's mind.

She smiles as the streetlights come on and the full moon shines in the sky.

_No. Thank you…you're saving me. _

_Saving me from the darkness. _

**Whoop! xD**

**There's probably going to be no more than two or three more chapters now, so sit tight! I am going somewhere with this…I'm not great shakes at writing xD **


	6. Chapter 6

**PS I don't own Torchwood.**

**And here is chapter 6! **

**This fiction, sadly is drawing to a close; possibly two more chapters after this one. I'm going to explain how it can 'last forever', so keep reading :) **

**Thanks to everybody who's been taking the time to read and review, and I sincerely hope you enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I know it's kind of confusing, and I'm not a great writer…but here we go. Onwards! =D **

**Chapter Six; Dance into Eternity**

The car stops illegally, lurching Megan forwards in her seat. She turns to scowl at Jack, before exiting the cab swiftly. The night is cool. The rain stopped long ago, and all that remains of it are a few puddles on the ground. The air is crisp, and Megan breathes it in deeply. She's now wearing Ianto's suit, rolled up at the legs and sleeves because of the length.

The stars are spread across the sky as if blown there by the wind, the moon guarding them with its sombre silver glow. The moonlight swathes the Bay in a grey incandescence, and The Dreamer cannot help but marvel at how beautiful it looks.

There is no-one else around, and for this, The Dreamer is glad. The thing works better alone.

She heads onto the Plass, stopping in the middle of it, and placing the small music player on the ground. She closes her eyes, breathing in the rich air, imagining the mist which rolls from the water and drifts around her feet.

"Megan," Jack says quietly, and The Dreamer is brought out of her trance. She smiles sadly, nodding. "You need to explain…how this works. And how…how it will last forever. I can't lose him again, Megan. I can't." The desperation in his voice stabs The Dreamer's heart; she wants to hold him close, comfort him, never let him go. Instead, she talks to him. She tries to sooth him, to tell him it will be ok. She doesn't want him to feel guilty for wanting his Ianto back. She wants to go. She wants to leave this world behind, this lonely, torturous world, and let her soul fly free. She wants the dreams to go. Her soul wants to sleep.

"The Device only works in a place of pure calm, love and serenity. It needs to be loved, to be cherished, for it to work. It needs safety, and assurance. And it needs you," Megan looks at Jack, smiling. The moonlight reflecting on her face gives her a haunting look. "If we both hold it, your immortality will be transferred. Just enough so the Device can pass it onto me, but not so much so that I will turn into you. One Jack Harkness is enough," Jack smiles at this, swatting Megan across the head playfully. She returns the smile, continuing.

"The Device will absorb Ianto from the picture, and will build his image inside of me. I'll begin to change, to fade away. My soul will be lifted from my body, and it will drift into the night. Ianto's spirit will become part of me – though I won't really be me – and he will live once more. Forever. Because your immortality will become a part of him. It will be like I was never here. And you'll have him back for good."

-x-x-x-

Jack is not sure what to make of this. He always thought of his not being able to die a curse, something he should shun and try to rid himself of.

But…if it means spending eternity with his Ianto…Jack nods once.

The Dreamer's face lights up briefly, before she takes the device from her pocket. In the eerie glow of the midnight moon, the thing looks almost…beautiful. The deep canals spiralling all over its otherwise smooth surface seem to radiate a dull incandescence, making Megan's palm kindle with a silver slight.

Jack swallows, before frowning at the music player. Megan grins, pressing a button on top. It plays a slow, slightly melancholy tune, though it certainly calms Jack's spinning thoughts.

Megan holds up her hand, the device gripped in her fingers.

Jack places his palm against hers, interlocking his fingers with the girl's and feeling the cool surface of the device against his hand. He places his other hand on The Dreamer's shoulder, and in turn she places her other hand in the middle of his back.

"Whatever you do," Megan whispers, "Don't let go. The device will show you things…make you remember. It will show you every emotion I've ever felt…but don't let go." Jack nods, looking out onto the Bay as he sways in time to the music.

The Bay really is enchanting. It seems almost magical, swathed in the moonlight, stars reflected in the still waters. It makes it seem like there is a sky beneath the waves, just waiting for somebody to discover it.

Jack gasps as something rams its way into his mind.

"_I love you," Tears falling from a girl's eyes as Ianto whispers to Jack. _

_Jack sees her, finally. She's always been there, watching. Intruding. _

"You were there…" Jack says hoarsely, his eyes clouded as he sees the dreams which have haunted The Dreamer for so long. "Every time…"

"_You came back," Ianto, standing in the far corner of Jack's office. _

"_I always do," Jack replies, grinning. The Dreamer sits on the desk, watching quietly. _

"_It wasn't the end of days after all," Ianto says, a slight smile on his lips. Jack returns the smile before drifting over to Ianto and pressing his lips softly to the Welshman's. _

"A thousand memories, brought together," The Dreamer whispers, her hand beginning to glow a strange orange colour.

"Replayed in the mind of the holder," Jack replies.

"_Don't forget me," More tears, this time from Jack and the girl. He sees her bending over the Welshman, shaking her head. _

"_Never could." _

"He never left my mind. Not once," Jack remarks sadly.

"You never left his," The Dreamer whispers back.

_Ianto, dying in his arms. _

_Anguish. Grief. Guilt. _

_A final kiss, a final touch. _

_He wants to be forgiven. It's his fault. _

"It was my fault," Jack recalls.

"It wasn't," The Dreamer replies, her body beginning to glow. She gasps suddenly, dropping to her knees. Jack follows, lowering her down carefully. He keeps his grip firmly in the girl's hand. She looks at their entwined fingers, before looking into Jack's eyes, her own brimming with tears. "Thank you," She whispers.

Jack swallows, trying to keep his own tears back. This strange girl, who was so arrogant before, now has become a milestone in his life.

"Before I go, Jack," The Dreamer whispers, "I need you to promise me something,"

Jack nods. "Anything."

"Tell him you love him," Jack swallows before nodding.

"I promise."

The Dreamer's heart is filled with content as she gasps suddenly. It was happening.

"Don't let go," She says, "Whatever happens, don't let go."

White light.

A flash, so bright Jack has to shield his eyes.

Darkness.

-x-x-x-

_It's there, in the dark. _

_The Dreamer can see it. It's waiting for her. _

_She feels herself being pulled from her body; at first she struggles, panicking suddenly. Then her heart overcomes with a sense of calm. _

_She looks over her shoulder, a smile on her face. _

_She sees Jack, his eyes squeezed shut against the powers of the Dream Device._

_The Dreamer sees it beside her, glowing. It finally looks beautiful. _

_Her final whispers are carried in the wind, absorbed into the moonlight. Nobody hears them, but The Dreamer doesn't care._

_She's free. _

"_Thank you…" _

-x-x-x-

Jack's breathing is haggard and rough. His heart is beating fast, his eyes are wide open as the light disappears.

Gone with the wind.

He swallows, before realising his hand is still clasped firmly with another human beings'.

His other hand is still on somebody's shoulder. The girl's.

He moves it slowly, as if to comfort her by stroking her hair. He can feel her shaking in his arms.

His hand meets short hair.

Jack frowns, pulling his hand back. He moves it to cup the person's chin. He moves his head back so he can see clearly.

He gasps.

Ianto's own face moves to look him straight in the eyes.

"I…Ianto?" Jack whispers hoarsely, tears choking his words.

It worked.

Jack squeezes Ianto's hand before pulling him into an embrace. He kisses Ianto's neck, pulling the Welshman's lips towards his own.

As the night fades to grey, and finally into a paint canvas of dawn-coloured hues, Jack whispers the words he hasn't said for years. And he means them. Every single letter, he means them.

Because his Ianto's back.

"Ianto Jones, I love you."

**Yay, happy ending! =D**

**There is one more chapter coming up, so watch out! ^^**

**I hope you liked it. It was a bit weird. xD **


	7. Chapter 7

**PS I don't own Torchwood or its characters =)**

**Final chapter!**

**Thanks to everyone, again, who has taken the time to read my fiction and review it. It means so much to me! **

**The title for this chapter was taken from a piece of music from the film Marley & Me. **

**Chapter 7 'Epilogue'; It All Runs Together**

The air is crisp and cold, and Jack Harkness breaths it in deeply, closing his eyes.

Winter mist swirls around his feet, and also around the feet of his companion.

His hand clasps the gloved hand of another man.

"Ready?" He asks his friend, turning towards him.

"I guess so," His friend replies, taking a deep breath. The graveyard resides in eerie splendour in front of them, stretching out for what seems like an eternity. The white and black stones and statues remind Jack of a chessboard.

The two men move quietly, respectfully, through the stones, till they reach their destination.

_Ianto Jones,_

The plaque beneath the white marble angel reads.

"It's so…it's strange," Jack's friend says, his voice softly accompanied by a Welsh accent. He turns to Jack, his icy blue eyes causing Jack to melt inside.

The American holds his gaze, his lips pressed into a tight line.

"I never thought I'd stand at my own gravestone," The man whispers, squeezing Jack's hand gently. Jack swallows. He's managed to keep Ianto's return to earth a secret from him, but sooner or later, Ianto will want answers. Jack knows – and owes – Ianto.

Thankfully, it seems Ianto has picked later.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Jack says truthfully. Ianto turns to him, a lump appearing in his throat.

"I never thought you loved me. But you did…that's all that matters now."

"It all runs together, Ianto. It all runs together."

"But…I…I _died_, Jack. You never…I didn't think it would be so damned _lonely,_" Ianto chokes, and Jack quickly pulls him into the protective barriers of his arms.

"You'll never be lonely again, Yan," Jack breaths, "I promise."

Ianto, reassured, buries his head into Jack's neck.

"I know," He whispers, "As long as I've got you."

Jack smiles to himself, nodding.

They've got a whole forever in front of them.

As day turns to dusk, Jack and Ianto turn from the graveyard, hand in hand, to return to Cardiff. The smoky tendrils of their breath in the air disappear into the skies as the two men head towards a car.

They pull away from the miles of marble and flowers, forgotten dreams and memories, and drive to a block of flats near the Bay.

It was about time they saw Gwen again.

In the sky, a star flashes orange for a moment, before bathing Cardiff in a iridescent silver light which reflects on the swell of the Bay.

-x-x-x-

_A small, grey thing, the size of a pebble, flashes briefly, before exiting the Earth's atmosphere._

_A small picture appears beneath its dull surface; if one were to look into the small hole which sits on one half of the object, they would see a photograph of two men, entwined in an eternal dance._

_The last dream. _

**Whee! :D **

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my first Fanfiction!**

**I will hopefully now write other fictions, and hopefully, you'll enjoy those too =D**

**Thanks so much!**

**~ Dragon **


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